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:?RELlMmARY DlSgOSaOK 



1 



PREUMINARY DKgUffilON. 



BY 



A MEMBER 



OF THE 



Society of Lady Artists, / 



NEW YORK, 



1883. 




^6 ^^^"^ 



COPYRIGH- 



s.''r.'''hartley. 






A 

Preliminary Discussion, 



The Society of Lady Artists gives a tea. 
"Shall it be 
Simply tea?" 
Said the charmingly artistic, but young, Mrs. B. 
Tea and bread, 
She had read, 
(So she said,) 
Were the complementary articles in use. 

Said lively little Miss L., 
" I'm sure I never can tell 



4 A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION. 

What's the proper way of doing things by reading the news 

They mix up our lunches and teas 

As if they were quite at their ease, 
Arranging people's meals and mealtimes as they choose." 

And, " Why do you 'ave a tea, you know ? " 
Cried the noble Lady Onthego : 
" Teas are always so dweadfully slow I 
Awfully tiahsome things, I think, — 
Dwess, gossip and insipid dwink." 

Chorus.— 7n various keys. 

" But, my dear Lady Onthego, this will not be ; 
The teas you have formerly been to, you see, 
Were given by the British aristocracy. 
While we are an artistical democracy." 



A PBELIMIXARY DISGUS8I0X. 5 

*'\Vhat Bohemians !" drawled Lady 0. 
"Indeed, my deahs, you don't look so." 

"But, since we liave settled to have tea, I think 

We need not dwell on the question of drink, 

But turn our attention to eating, you know," 

Urged Mrs. B. Said Lady Onthego, 

"That's a vewy important item in affaihs of this kind ; 

That it is not offen thought so is the fault that, to my mind, 

Tells against the entawtainment so." 

"I believe in substantial food and cigars in the gentlemen's 
cloak room," 

Calmly announced Miss D. 
"My dear," replied Mrs. B.— 
"Don't you know that smoking is a vice, 
And tobacco and tea are not nice." 



6 A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION. 

" Then we'd better make up our minds to have coffee as well, 
I i^resume," 

Said the undaunted Miss D. 

A thin, flat voice, suggesting the east in its tone, 

Was here heard to say, "I think that the feast not alone 

For the animal nature should be supplied ; 

Man lived not by bread only in days of old— it can't be denied 

That somewhat more is needed in this age of intellect's pride." 

"But that is jiist what we're now discussing : 
What we can get without too much fussing— 

Besides bread," 

Miss D. said. 

Replied the lady— with scorn in her mien — 
" 'Tis food for the brain, not stomach, I mean." 



A PJRELIMIXARY DISCUSSION. 

" Oil, that's fish ! " cried Lady Onthego, 
' ' We cawn't 'ave fish at a tea, you know ! " 

The eastern lady's nose shrank up, 

As pussie's does when called to sup — 

And high in air her head was lifted 

As from the room, she, snifiing, drifted — 

And remarked to herself while descending the stair, 

' ' I'll return to my own highly rarified air ; 

This may be an artistic atmosphere, 

But, certainly, culture couldn't live here . " 

A smile flew around the room she'd left 
Of that mysterious presence reft, 

Known to her as culture. 
Each woman's face wore that look of relief : 
Which, on culture's departure, 'tis my belief. 

Follows as a result, sure. 



8 A PRELIMINAET DISCUSSIOK 

" To resume," cried they all with one accord, 
*' We're wasting more time than we can afford." 

"Let's appoint a committee 
To arrange things for the tea, 
And leave that to them," 
Wisely said Mrs, M. 
*' And now, there's the question of decoration : 
How shall we win the most admiration 
For artistic taste and dis-crimination ? 
Shall we labor to gain the approbation 
Of up-town, 
Or down-town ? 
Shall we have in a load of bric-a-brac and draperies 
To back up our various tea-table naperies ; 

China and spoons ; 
Get ourselves up in the latest parlor effect ; 



A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION. 9 

Colors, shapes and styles whicli the Av'nue doth elect ; 

For twelve full moons, 
Shall be the proper thing, swell— in fine, quite correct. 

* * Or shall we study the comfort and pleasure 

Of those with whom day is for work ; and leisure 

Time's only at night : 
Have things cheerful and bright without any airs, 
Pleasant looking tables and enticing chairs ? 
Then, what's to be done with the casts and studies from the 

nude ? 
There are sure to be people here who'll think it very rude 
To have them in sight." 

Cried the artistic Mrs. B. : 
"Well, then, I'm sure I don't see. 
Why we need be influenced by sentiments so crude." 



10 A PRELIMINARY DISCmSION. 

Then spoke a lady who'd been silent heretofore — 
Occuj^ying a seat of vantage near the door — 

" My dear friends, it's the most plaintive thing in my life, 
That, though I've been Claude Kosetti Johnson's wife 

For many years, 
I've never quite been able to forget that I'm a lady, 
Brought up in society which regards as — kind o' shady, 

And rather fears 
To touch or look upon that which artists know as nature, 
I feel, it's hxii a diflference in nomenclature. 
That nudity really is immodest 

And only a doctor or chiropodist 

Should be allowed to look upon unclothed nature." 

She ceased and sat. 
The president instantly took her place behind the table, 



A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION. 11 

And rapped on that, 
Calling the ladies to order, as well as she was able. 

A meeting then was held with all regular formalitj', 
And committees were appointed with solemn legality, 
To attend to the tables, casts, and other things respectively ; 
Each committee pledging itself to do its work effectively. 

*' And really," they with one voice agree, 
"After all— it's the only way you see 

To get anything done, 

Though talking is fun," 



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